Course Requirements

REQUIREMENTS

1. Attendance

Attendance is required. It is University policy that more than four unexcused absences are grounds for being dropped from the course.

2. Class Participation/Reading/ Class Presentation

This is a discussion class, and it requires the active and informed participation of everyone. All students are responsible for completing the reading assignments before the class in which they will be discussed. You are also required to prepare various homework assignments (i.e. preparing questions, discussion topics etc.)

Each of you will be expected to make one 10 minute oral presentation with a partner to the rest of the class that links the day�s reading either to a previous work that we have read (e.g. comparison between Hobbes and Locke) or to an issue of a contemporary moral and/or political concern. Attendance, reading assignments, participation, and oral presentation will count for 25% of the final grade.

3. Written Responses.

In the course of the semester you will submit 10 written responses answering study and response questions concerning the week�s reading assignment (see due dates on schedule, absolutely no extensions!) Questions for the written responses will be posted on my web page. Your responses should be 250-300 words (i.e. about 3 page typed). You will not receive individual grades for each assignment. Rather they will be collected, recorded and will constitute 15% of your final grade. This exercise will both help me to see how well you understand the works and assist in class discussions.

4. Midterm

The in-class midterm examination on October 23 will test everything we have studied up to and including October 18: 20% of the final grade.

5. Three Short Papers

You must write three papers (5 pages each) for this course. The paper topics will be provided in advance. You must hand in the papers on time (see class schedules for due dates). Absolutely no extensions unless I hear from the Health Services or the Dean�s office. I penalize late papers one half letter grade per day:20% of the final grade.

6. Final exam

The in-class final examination (to be taken at some point in the examination period December 14-21) will mainly consist of two essays, one treating the material we will have covered since the midterm, the other dealing with material from the whole span of the semester. There will also be shorter identification questions: 20% of the final grade.